Paradox
noun /ˈpærədɒks/ — Two opposite things that are both true at once.
Definition
A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless express a truth; a situation that appears logically impossible but is real.
Beyond the definition
Life is full of paradoxes and most people spend their lives trying to resolve them. The sophisticated mind learns to hold them. The harder you try to be funny, the less funny you are. Rest is often the most productive thing you can do.
Origin & history
From Greek paradoxos — contrary to expectation (para 'against' + doxa 'opinion').
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The paradox of choice: more options somehow leads to less satisfaction.
His kindness and cruelty coexisted — a paradox that made him impossible to understand.
The paradox of privacy: the more we protect it, the more we have to give up to protect it.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Paradox” when the meaning fits your context: A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless express a truth; a situation that appears logically impossible but is real.
Synonyms
Antonyms
consistency, agreement, harmony
Related words
- oxymoron
- dichotomy
- irony
- cognitive-dissonance
Paradox vs contradiction
A contradiction is simply two things that cannot both be true — a logical incompatibility. A paradox is a contradiction that somehow resolves, or that contains a deeper truth beneath the apparent impossibility. You resolve a contradiction by showing one side is wrong; a paradox remains true on both sides simultaneously. Contradictions frustrate logic; paradoxes expand it.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
Psychologists have found, repeatedly, that people who accept their limitations are more confident than those who deny them. That admitting uncertainty makes you more credible. That the less you try to control a conversation, the more influence you have in it.
These are not tricks or strategies. They are things that are logically counterintuitive and empirically true.
The most useful ones are the ones about how to be a person in the world. You find them, usually, the hard way — after doing the intuitive thing long enough to notice it reliably fails.
Questions about this word
What does "Paradox" mean?
Paradox is noun meaning: Two opposite things that are both true at once.. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless express a truth; a situation that appears logically impossible but is real.
Which words express “mixed feelings about something”?
Paradox — Two opposite things that are both true at once.
Where does the word "Paradox" come from?
From Greek paradoxos — contrary to expectation (para 'against' + doxa 'opinion').